Another Day
by paramoria
Summary: Jessica and Bumper go to the water park.


Beca Mitchell had an irrational fear of water, and Jessica Allen had never really found out why that was. Water was just an abundance of hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms fused together. It was nothing to be afraid of. In fact, swimming was one of Jessica's favorite hobbies. She loved taking her children to the pool and watching Bumper dunk his daughter underwater. Bumper Jr. would always scamper around in the shallow end, afraid to venture out, and Jessica would always come to rescue. She'd hold him up as she stalked to the deeper end of the pool and slowly let him down into the cool blue. He'd smile, being held up only by the flotation wings on his upper arms, and say, "This isn't so bad. Thanks, Mommy!"

But, those years had passed now. The kids had moved out and their adventures at the local water park had long since gone. Bumper and Jessica were still frequent visitors to the park, secretly yearning to re-experience past memories. Today was one of the days in which the couple found themselves wasting away under the bright sun waterside in the park. It was hot, hotter than a usual summer day, and Jessica decided it was time to cool off. She climbed down into the water, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips as the blue water lapped against her heated skin. Bumper mumbled about going to get something to eat, but Jessica wasn't listening; she was lying in the water with her arms outstretched and her ears underwater. Bumper walked off towards the small café on the other side of the park with a handful of money and an empty stomach. She suddenly desired to visit the wave pool, so she climbed back up the ladder and made her way over to the populated pool of both children and adults anxiously awaiting the waves to crash over them and send them flying backwards. There was something everyone loved about collecting their footing just in time to get pushed back down again. Moving through the crowd of people waiting in anticipation, Jessica made her way to the deepest end of the pool in attempt to get away from most of the children. She didn't want to crash into one of them. She was surrounded by other adults who seemed to be in the same position as her; they were all off in their own world, lost in their thoughts. Jessica found herself feeling alone, but not wanting to be alone. She wished she had waited for Bumper to join her before she came to the wave pool, but he was on the other side of the park now and the waves were about to start. She wasn't about to leave right when the action was beginning.

The waves were stronger than Jessica had remembered. Bigger too. With each passing wave, Jessica found herself inching closer and closer to the rock wall. She tried to move away, but the pressure from the waves wouldn't let her. She glanced around her at all the other adults. They didn't see her; their minds were elsewhere. Her face raked against the wall, and she winced, putting her arms out to distance herself. Another wave, another slam into the wall. The time between waves became shorter and shorter as did the time Jessica had above water. Each gasping breath she could muster contained less and less air and more and more water. With chlorine stinging her eyes, she blinked hard after a wave passed, searching for a lifeguard above the wall which would have been glistening with blood if it weren't for the water washing it away. The lifeguard was missing from its chair. A spark of hope lit in Jessica's heart. Another wave and yet another smack into the wall later, Jessica blinked hard towards the shore crowded with people. There was a lifeguard in the distance, but they weren't coming for her. They were helping a child on the shore. Before she could count the number of lifeguards, Jessica was forced underwater once again.

Her arms thrashed through the water, scraping against the rock wall, reaching for the surface. Her nose was mere inches from breaking the surface just as another wave came crashing down, pushing her down deeper. The water was choking her now. Her lungs were filling up with the fluid, and she knew it. She had been forced under for too long. It hurt to open her eyes; she didn't want to see. She could hear the muffled screams and laughter of children and it only reminded her of her own children. The wave pool was Bumper Jr.'s favorite attraction. He could sit in the shallow water and let the waves crash over him without being scared. When he grew up, he went deeper into the wave pool and enjoyed it, but to his mother, he was always the scared, little boy who never wanted to leave the shallow end. Jessica had given birth to so many memories here, not knowing they would die here as well.

As the waves died back down and the lifeguards returned to their posts, Jessica's body remained at the bottom on the pool. A man was swimming over to the wall to ask the lifeguard a question, but stopped when he felt something touch his toe. He looked down to see an outline of a person. He quickly motioned to the lifeguard who jumped in the water as soon as they noticed the fright on the man's face. The lifeguard dived down and retrieved the woman then swam to was laid out on the ground in front of everyone. There were murmurs and whispers shared between friends and family. The lifeguard was given room to perform CPR on Jessica.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

The lifeguard blew air into her lungs.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

More air.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Air. The crowd began to stir.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

More air. The lifeguard was starting to feel the pressure.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

. . .

A crew of EMTs had arrived and relieved the lifeguard of duty.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Air.

She was carried to the ambulance and CPR continued until they arrived at the hospital. Blood was peeking out through the cuts and scrapes on Jessica's fragile face. The doctor wouldn't have recognized her if it wasn't for the bathing suit she was wearing; Doctor Posen and her had bought them together. The doctor questioned the EMT asking if they had notified her husband of her condition. They looked dumbfounded. Doctor Posen rattled off Bumper's cell phone number and ordered the two call him up.

Sitting next to Jessica, Doctor Posen greeted Bumper as he ripped through the door and froze in his tracks with his eyes on the bed. She rose from the chair and gave his arm a soft squeeze before leaving him alone with his wife. He collapsed at her side, his knees slamming against the tiled floor. He scooped up her stiff hand and caressed his cheek with it. Silent tears rolled down his rosy cheeks. "We were supposed to be together forever," he whispered before placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist. His eyes squeezed shut and he swallowed hard, fighting the sobs that dared to rip through him. He couldn't be weak. He wouldn't allow himself to be weak.

"I got you something," he whispered again. Speaking above a hushed tone just didn't seem appropriate. "I was going to give it to you when we got home, but…" he pulled out a small box from his shorts pocket, "here." Bumper opened the gift and pulled out a small, diamond bracelet. "It's the one you saw a month ago in the shop. Remember? Bumper Jr. gave it to me. He bought it when you were shopping for shoes." A small laugh left his lips. "You know how much Bumper Jr. hates shopping for shoes." He wrapped the band around Jessica's wrist and kissed it once again. "Yeah, it looks good on you."


End file.
